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Big Tipper

Marvin Shanken, the supreme leader (editor, publisher, chairman) of Wine Spectator, went to dinner with three friends and spent $300 on food and $1200 on wine. This was not a financial strain. Add to his many titles this one: The Richest Wine Magazine Owner on Earth.

He tipped $60 on food. That's fine.

He tipped $90 on wine. He admitted this in the current issue of his magazine. Came right out and said it. I've never thought of the Wine Spectator as a gutsy magazine, but Shanken is one gutsy guy. He basically confessed to being The Most Mean-Spirited Wine Magazine Owner on Earth.

The purpose of his declaration, ostensibly, was to encourage a lively discussion of tipping. Such a dialogue could have been useful, but what he really did was proclaim himself one of the most loathed of restaurant patrons, a rich guy who stiffs the help. Tipping in restaurants is not, as Shanken seems to think, about calculating the minimum amount of cash you can get away with leaving on the table. That's an ugly way to end a meal.

Shanken tipped 7.5 percent on wine. You don't have to know a lot about restaurant etiquette to know that you never tip 7.5 percent on anything. Let's say that you—we'll call you Not the Richest Wine Magazine Owner on Earth—have dinner with a friend and order two entrées and a $45 Merlot. According to Shanken, you should leave a $3.38 tip on the wine. Please don't.

I have better advice. If money is tight, ask for one entrée, split it, and leave a good tip. It's better to be hungry than to be a bum.

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